Combination drip pan and baffle member for refrigerating cases



June 3, 1930.: H. M. HUNT 1,761,629

COMBINATION DRP PAN AND BAFFLE MEMBER' FOR REFRIGERATING CASES i FiledJuly 11, 1928 f6/. d; m4(

p PatentedV June 3, 1930 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE HOWARD HUNT, FHUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA, ASSI(':rI\`I0R T0 SHOOT-HOL- V MAN CO., 0FINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA COMBINATION DRIP PAN AND BAFFLE MEMBER FORREFRIGERATING CASES application mea July 11,

My invention relates -to combination drip pan and baffle member forrefrigerating cases, and it has for its primary object to provide anellicient drip pan and baille mem ber to be suspended or supported underthe coils in a refrigerating case, whereby to catch the drippings fromsaidcoils and also to control and stimulate circulation of the airwithin said `case. A

In order to fully explain my invention, I have shown' in 'theaccompanying sheet of drawings a cross sectional view through arefrigerating case with refrigerating c oils and my combination drip panand baHie member, which I will now describe. v Figure 1 is a crossvertical sectionl through a refrigerating case, with Amyv inventionshown in connection therewithj Figure 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged viewof a portion of the invention; and f A Figure 3 is a view similar toFig. 1, but showing a modified arrangement. p It -will be understoodthat my invention can be applied or used in any case or cabinet Whererefrigerating coils are used and where it is desired to catch'thedrippings from the coils and to. direct or control the circulation ofthe air within said case.

In the ldrawings, 3 designates a'refrigeration case, with the glassfront 4, and the 'rear slide doors 5, which can be of anyu'sual ordesired construction. e 4 In the upper part of the case are supportedthe refrigerating coils 6, supported or suspended from the top of thecase by means of straps 7. y number of coils and any 'arrangement andmeans of support can be used as maybe most'convenient for the particulardesign of caseor cabinet. i y My invention consists of a combinationdrip pan and baille member, designated 8, with the low wall 9 along oneside and with the high wall or baille member 10, extending along,theopposite side,' said pan extending lengthwise of the case or cabinet `inwhich it is placed. It-will be noticed that the high wall or baillemember-10, extends to a position near the inclined frontwall of saidcase, so as to leave a relatively narrow throat or 5o opening betweenlthe upper edge of said wall .14, then fill in a ing at its lower sideand at one end, or otherwise, as may be deslred. A draln 'outlet is'1922s. serial' 110.291,732.

and the front wall of the case. It is known Vthaty cold air settles ormoves downwardly and that the warmer air rises, and if the oppositesides of the pan 8 were low and of the same height, then the cold airfrom around the coils 6 would simply move 'downwardly. to the pan andthen out over theop# posite sides thereof in opposite directions.v Butby providingl one wall of said pan higher and carrying it to near thetop of the case, the cold air from the coils moves downward- 1y andoutwardly over 'the lower side of said pan and away from the higher wallor baille member 10, and this movement of the cold c air causes thewarmerair to flow upwardly 65 and inwardly through the throat at 11,'.asindicated by the arrows, and thisstimulates or directs the circulationof the air within the refrigerating case. The throat vor restrictedopening between the top edge of the member 10 andthe front of the casefront 4, thus operates to cause an' accelerated movement of the warmerair to lill in around the coils as the: colder air therefrom movesdownwardly and outwardly vover the lower Wallg9 of said-pan.

In order to properly I coat it with a layer of tar protect the drip pan,tar or asphalt-,'12, then apply paper 13, further coated as at pressedcork filler 15, with another coat of tar 16, another layer of tar paper17, and a top covering of karnack, or burlap treated with asphalt orother water proong matter 18, with a final coat-of tar 19.- This makessaid drip panwater-proof and prevents any possibility of rust or vdamagethereto on account of the condition Within'said case. The outsideof saidpan and baflle meiner are preferably of baked enamel. Itl will beunderstood, ofcourse, that any suitable structure can be used for saidpan and baille member, and that any suitable means" for covering andprotecting it can be used. It is also provided witha drain openindicatedat 20.

In Fig.l

with two 21', with 't 3 I have shown an arrangement I groups ofrefrigerating coils, 21,V

e opposite outer sides provided l ing air outside of with baiiestructures or louvers 22,22, for directing and regulating thecirculation of the air within the case. When the machine is operatingand the circulation is stimulated, the cold air passes downwardly in themiddle and some of it will possibly pass out through the lower of theopenings, designated 28, 23, but when the machine is not being operated,then the warmer air passes upwardly along `the outer sides of saidstructures and inwardly through said openings 23, 23, and down throughthe center, after passing over the ipes. This warmer air will alsooperate to defrost the lower pipes and pans and prevent u accumulationof the frost products or ice on` said lower pipes and pans beyond whatis intended, the defrosting being accomplished periodically in arelatively short length of time during the idle time of therefrigerating machine by the warm air from the food compartment passingthrough the louvers of the bailes and between the coils. The drip pansare designated 24, 24 in this form of the invention.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details here shown fordescriptive and explanatory purposes, except as I may be limited by thehereto appended claims, realizing that changes in details ofconstruction and arrangement can be mad'e within the scope of theinvention.

I claim:

l. In combination with a rerigerating case having a restricted andtapering top portion and refrigerating coils therein, of bafle meansalong one side of said coils for directsaid coils upwardly over the topof said coils and downwardly there- -through in direct contacttherewith, said baiile means having openings therethrough at diferentlevels opposite said coils, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a refrigerating case and refrigerating coilstherein, of drip pans under said coils and spaced apart horizontally toprovide a down passage therebetween, vertical walls outside of saidcoils with openings therethrough for directing air currents from theouter opposite sides of said coils inwardly through said walls, indirect contact with saidcoils and downwardly through said down passagebetween said pans.

3. A refrigerating case having a narrower top lengthwise thereof andtapering downwardly and outwardly therefrom, a bank of cooling coilslengthwise in 4said top portion, a drip pan thereunder tocatch drippingsand condensations from said coils, a vertical wall along one side ofsaid coils only and terminating'near the top along the upper edge ofsaid wall and said top to cause warmer air to 'passipwardly around theoutside of said wall and coils and through said throat and downwardlyamong said-coils .air outwardly through said to form a restrictedthroatA and out and downwardly at the opposite side of said coils andaround the opposite side of said drip pan, the contact of said warmerair with said cooling coils operating to cool the air and to causedefrosting of said coils when the machine is periodically idle.

4. A refrigerating case having its top of tapering form to provide theinside top of restricted form with tapering wall, a bank of coolingpipes in said restricted top of said case, a drip pan supported undersaid pipes, a vertical member from one side of said drip pan upwardlyalong side of said pipes and termin ating near the top to form arestricted throat along the upper edge of said wall and said top tocause warmer air to pass upwardly around the outside of said wall andcoils and through said throat to said coils, said vertical wall beingprovided with a series of longitudinally extended louvers to `permitpassing of warmer air inwardly and of cold vertical wall along one sideof said cooling pipes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In combination with a refrigerating case and a bank of refrigeratinglcoils therein, of means at one side of said coils for dividing theup-current of air and directing it at different levels over and downamong said coils indirect contact therewith, whereby to create vdefinitecirculation upwardly and inwardly of the warmer air :and directing itdown through the refrigerating coils, the opposite side being open forthe free passage of air downwardly.

Signed at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, this 25 day ofJune, 1928.

HOWARD M. HUNT.

